SEO Tycoon

**usearchme** · 05-25-2010, 01:00 PM

Hi guys

Just thought I would post this as its quite an interesting issure.

Obviously your not allowed to use registered trademarks for anchor text, or put someone elses full url etc

But if the anchor text is not a registered trademark, would there be any circumstances you wouldnt be able to use what could be someone else site name thats in their url, as anchor text ?

I have a look around couldnt really find any answers

Woc

**FlightCenter** · 05-25-2010, 01:19 PM

I guess you could, but if it's a generic url are you really anchoring a competitor site or a keyword or keyword phrase that someone happens to own the domain of? If I try to win cheap flights and cheapflights domain exists (it does) then that's not really smart planning on my end. Why fight an uphill battle? Win keywords that are neutral to both parties. Best of luck

**chrishirst** · 05-25-2010, 01:44 PM

Quote:

Obviously your not allowed to use registered trademarks for anchor text, or put someone elses full url etc

Not necessarily so, You cannot use some trademarked names for Adwords campaigns, which in some cases could probably be challenged as restrictive practices.

If you sell Sony Televisions why can't you advertise that fact? bit simplistic because that's one that isn't affected. If I recall.

With anchor text on your own site provided you are not "passing off" products as if they were the trademark one there is no real problem.

**usearchme** · 05-25-2010, 04:54 PM

True good point chris about the sony tv !

I think your right, if you were pretending to be sony and using the anchor text sony tv i think that would probably be one way to get into hot water lol !

Woc

**kittyflip** · 05-25-2010, 10:08 PM

this will affect your online reputation, make your own name as long as you believing in your own skills

**gordonrp** · 10:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chrishirst

With anchor text on your own site provided you are not "passing off" products as if they were the trademark one there is no real problem.

Personally, I disagree. In this instance the user is deliberately adding a trademarked term to their anchor URL, it has no fair use behind it, e.g. using "Sony" in a paragraph about TV's.

When the text is not overly visible to the user, and not used in some sort of generic way as detailed above, it becomes clear that he is indeed "passing off" the reputation and brand of the trademark to the search engines, presumably for search engine ranking purposes.

I certainly would not want to be a person defending such use in court, as I feel the outcome would be strongly in favor of the trademark owner.

My thoughts are based on my limited knowledge of trademarks, having owned both UK and USA marks and researching the requirements for defending ones trademark.

Quote:

Originally Posted by kittyflip

this will affect your online reputation, make your own name as long as you believing in your own skills

QFTT

**chrishirst** · 05-30-2010, 04:47 PM

Quote:

Personally, I disagree. In this instance the user is deliberately adding a trademarked term to their anchor URL, it has no fair use behind it, e.g. using "Sony" in a paragraph about TV's

In that case how would you link to a page on your site selling Sony TVs??

**lynxus** · 05-30-2010, 04:50 PM

I would say, Who gives a **** but evidently some people do.

You know if your blatantly trying to rip off a brand name, So if your not. Then go ahead, Use it.

I would "hope" common sense will prevail however this just isnt the case online.

So this is what im going to do.
Im going to shut up.

**usearchme** · 05-30-2010, 05:30 PM

lol wel I thought it was an interesting argument, but thinking about it, chris is right, if amazon were unable to create links to their items on their pages without being able to use the anchor text of say sony tvs, it would be just stupid lol !

So I think the above post is probably right, unless your pretending to be sony themselves and deliberatly trying to mislead people, then you might well run into issues !

Woc

**elmerkit** · 05-31-2010, 03:39 AM

True a lot of people do this and yes some do succeed but still i see it unfair and copycats.